Skylights are often the preferred choice of lighting for a room or office, if one has access to the roof. However, even when access is available the cost of modifying the roof may be high, particularly if existing structures and utilities have to be circumvented. Skylights present other numerous challenges; the amount of light is variable and not easily controllable, unwanted glare can result at different times of the day, and finally UV radiation found in sunlight is known to be harmful to people and property.
Hence, a compact, artificial skylight that could be installed within the confines of a typical ceiling (usually less than 8 inches high between ceiling panel and floor), with a wide field of view (FOV) of the sky would offer a business or domestic user a practical means of enjoying the known psychological benefits of natural lighting, with the added advantage of controlled luminance.